Va. - Michael Vick's lawyers have advised him to accept a plea deal from federal prosecutors in his dogfighting case, according to a person with direct knowledge of the case.

Vick has until 9 a.m. this morning to accept the deal, the source said. The deal would most likely come with a recommendation from prosecutors that the Atlanta Falcons quarterback be sentenced to one to two years in prison.

The person was granted anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss the case publicly.

If Vick decides not to take the deal, prosecutors plan on bringing more charges against him.

Vick faces three felony charges related to dogfighting and could face up to five years in prison and as much as a $250,000 fine.

Two of Vick's three co-defendants - Purnell A. Peace, 35, of Virginia Beach, and Quanis L. Phillips, 28, of Atlanta - were scheduled to plead guilty this morning at the federal courthouse here in front of U.S. District Judge Henry E. Hudson. Tony Taylor, the third defendant, pleaded guilty in the case July 30 and agreed to testify against the others. Peace and Phillips are also expected to help the government's case in return for lighter sentences.

Although time appears to be running out for Vick, a guilty plea would put the NFL on surer footing.

Last month, Commissioner Roger Goodell appointed Eric Holder, a former deputy attorney general, to investigate the Vick case and recommend a punishment for Vick. Holder, who is relying only on public documents, has not made a recommendation to Goodell, the league said.

Although public support has turned against Vick, it may be harder for the NFL to suspend him for a long period of time if he has not admitted to or been convicted of a crime. But if Vick agreed to plead guilty, the league could suspend him for violating its conduct policy because he would have admitted to violating the law.

His penalty would be decided by Goodell, who has wide-ranging powers to punish players.

As Vick's lawyers negotiated with prosecutors over the past week, the person with direct knowledge of the case said that people who represented Vick tried to reach out to the NFL to find out how the league planned to punish Vick. But the NFL refused to discuss his punishment.

When indictments are brought against several defendants, legal experts said that prosecutors were more likely to seek lighter sentences for the first defendants who decide to help their cases. Because Vick could be the last defendant to make a plea, he could face the longest sentence.

"The government certainly needed Taylor more than the others in this case because he helped them build leverage," Carl Tobias, a professor at the University of Richmond Law School, said.